Wasted Time
by Haruka's Knight
Summary: Short story. Not my norm. Don't ask, I have no idea why I wrote it. Past life AU staring Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna. Again, short.


**Author's Note: I am at a bit of a cross road in my fan fiction writing. I am finding that I have very little time and I also am starting to feel less of a draw toward writing at the moment. That might sound like I am retiring before I've truly started, but that isn't exactly true. Honestly I just think it will be another break.**

**WARNING: To those who enjoy my happy ending stories, this isn't one.**

**Wasted Time**

**By: Haruka's Knight**

The Silver Millennium consisted of peace and happiness for the citizens of the inner planets. There had not been a conflict in the last thousand years, at least not inside the solar system itself.

"Do you plan to remain here and brood in your castle for the next thousand years?" Setsuna Meiou, eternal ruler of Pluto and guardian of time watched the silent figure that stood before the vast window of a dimly lit thrown room. When the figure dressed head to toe in a navy noblemen's suit with gold trim did not move she spoke again. "You can not hide here for all of time Princess Haruka."

"You're the one who insists I am hiding and don't call me princess." Haruka Ten'ou turned and her teal eyes locked onto the figure standing down the length of the hall from her. Setsuna wore a floor length deep violet dress and held lightly to her staff. A top the staff the garnet orb glowed faintly in an ominous manner. A blonde brow cocked upwards and spoke with a slight edge. "What exactly would you suggest I do?"

"Go, make peace with Neptune. After all, it is the two you have taken on the largest part of the protection of this matriarchy. You must be able to work together."

"We will work together as well as we ever have, nothing has changed." Haruka turned away and watched the stormy skies of Uranus. Dark clouds blacked out any sun light and the winds raged against the castle walls.

"If nothing has changed why have you locked yourself away here and why does the wind rage across the entire planet? Why do the seas on Neptune rage and why does its ruler refuse to leave her music room?" Setsuna sighed at the blondes back as she shook her head. "You are wasting precious time my friend."

"It is my life; I'll spend how I see fit." Haruka crossed her arms and noticed how the wind picked up speed with her anger. It displayed the feelings which raged inside its master.

"I hope you both can live this decision." Setsuna turned away and left the ruler of the wind to her privacy.

Haruka clinched one hand on the hilt of her space sword and growled lightly. She felt as if the weight of the galaxy rested upon her shoulders. All these years she and Michiru Kaioh, heir of Neptune, had been fast friends. They'd spent countless hours as children training together before the deaths of Haruka's parents. After they'd still spent much time together training, and working together. Flashes of battles they'd been in played through Haruka's mind and she grimaced.

That had changed, and it was really Haruka's fault. She should have never started it all, never. Her parents had accepted her, but her father had warned her. She'd known that with her station came solitude or a lie. She'd chosen as a child to live her life honestly, for what good was the honor of her title while living a lie. It was not a big leap for the young heir, raised by parents who slept in different bedrooms, to embrace life alone. After all, love was rarely the basis for a royal marriage.

But there had been one flaw in the walls around the heir to the powers of the wind. Her best friend, the reason she'd first realized that she was not quiet right. Michiru had been there for her, but this was more than Haruka could do to either of them. Playful banter and flirting was mostly harmless. . .

However it was obvious to both that neither could put it aside. So, granted after a long conversation with Michiru's parents, Haruka had put it aside for both of them.

The halls of the castle were silent; Haruka had sent away all servants and advisors. There was soon going to be a grand ball at the palace of the Moon Kingdom's royal family and she'd insisted they all go. None of them could refuse a royal command, so they went and allowed Haruka her sought after solitude.

It was almost a week later when the final ball of the Silver Millennium took place. A ball which the defenders of the outer solar system all declined to attend. And it was then that everything came crashing down. Haruka felt it on the wind, a mass loss as if the world itself had shattered. She paused in her routine, closing her eyes and drawing upon the powers of her planet to operate to Neptune.

"What happened?" Haruka asked Michiru with out preamble. They hadn't spoken in nearly a month but their duties over powered any problems they had as Michiru gazed into her Aqua Mirror.

"They're all dead." Michiru was pale as she turned toward her partner and looked at her with disbelief. "All we've done to defend them and the fall of the kingdom has come from Earth. They rose up at the ball and they've apparate them."

"This is it then, now I understand what Setsuna meant." Haruka growled as she drew the Space Sword and turned toward the door. It was purely a gesture of habit as she didn't need the door in order to travel across the solar system.

"Where are you going? Haruka you can't save them!" Michiru cried out and the blonde paused before turning to her.

"No, I can't but I swore to defend them Michiru. If I can't save them then I will at least take a toll on those who have done this." Teal eyes held a hint of steel in them even as Haruka's expression softened and she offered her arm to the other princess. "Join me for one last battle my lady?"

"How else could we fight?" Michiru responded as she took Haruka's arm. They faced the door again before apparating to the site of their final battle.


End file.
